YOUNGSTERS left their Darlington primary school building for the last time yesterday - and will return from their half-term break to a multi-million pound learning centre.

Pupils at Skerne Park Primary School will soon be having their lessons at a £4.5m development, which will provide adult education, childcare, schooling, health services and advice for parents all on one site - the first facility of its kind in the area.

The old infant and junior school buildings will be demolished in the next few weeks, with the land to be used as part of the landscaping for the new building.

From Thursday, March 2, the 315 schoolchildren will share the facility with Parkside Neighbourhood Nursery, SureStart children's centre, a library, and community learning facilities.

The school will continue to be called Skerne Park Primary School, although Darlington Borough Council is consulting with local people about what the community development as a whole should be known as.

An official naming ceremony expected to be held later this year.

Headteacher Di Teasdale said: "This is a very exciting time for the school, and the children are all looking forward to coming back after half-term to the new school.

"The new facilities are second-to-none - so although this old building has more than done its job in serving the community over the last 50 years or so, we are all looking to the future now and are delighted to be moving forward into this fantastic school."

Councillor Chris McEwan, the council's cabinet member for children's services, said: "This is not only a special day in the project's progress, or in the history of Skerne Park Primary School, but for the area as a whole.

"This development is aimed at helping everyone in the Skerne Park area, and by creating this new, state-of- the-art provision, we are giving this generation and many more to come, greater opportunities to fulfil their potential."